Hens split twinbill on wild night in Columbus

7/26/2012

COLUMBUS -- The Mud Hens split a doubleheader at Columbus Wednesday, winning the first game 5-3 before losing a wild game in the nightcap by an 11-10 score.

Toledo rebounded from a 9-2 deficit to tie the second game at 10, but the Clippers scored a run to win in the bottom of the seventh and final inning.

That rally began when Ezequiel Carrera singled, his fifth hit of the contest, then took second on a sacrifice by Cord Phelps. Toledo intentionally walked Vinny Rottino, but a wild pitch by Luis Marte moved the runners up a base.

The Hens intentionally walked Russ Canzler, but Jared Goedert's sacrifice fly scored Carrera with the winning run.

Toledo had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Justin Henry singled, Danny Worth doubled Henry to third, and both came home on a single by John Lindsey.

But Hens starter Luke Putkonen gave up four runs in the bottom of the first and five more in the second. Putkonen surrendered 10 hits, and eight of the nine runs were earned in 1⅓ innings, although he did notch three strikeouts.

The Mud Hens got a run back in the third when Lindsey smacked a home run, and Toledo got back into the game with five runs in the fourth. Catcher Adolfo Reina clubbed a two-run homer, Lindsey had a two-run single, and Matt Young walked with the bases loaded to force home a run and cut the deficit to 9-8.

Columbus added a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Toledo completed the comeback in the sixth, tying the game at 10. Ben Guez smacked his fifth home run of the season, and Lindsey connected for his second homer of the game and sixth in 28 contests for the Hens this season.

In the opening game it took just five batters to give Toledo a 4-0 lead. The first three hitters -- Henry, Danny Worth, and Guez -- singled off Clippers starter T.J. McFarland for one run, and one out later Danny Dorn pounded a three-run homer, his third homer for the Hens and 10th overall this season.

Columbus got one run back in the first inning when Carrera hit his sixth home run of the year. In the second, the Clippers scored a run without the benefit of a hit when Toledo's Brooks Brown walked three batters to load the bases, then gave up a sacrifice fly by Gregorio Petit.

The Mud Hens added a run in the fourth when Henry walked, took second on a single by Worth, and came home on a single by Guez. Columbus got that run back in the sixth when Phelps slammed his 11th home run.

But Toledo snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to the start by Brown, who threw six solid frames to even his record at 3-3, and Chris Bootcheck, who pitched around a walk to claim his 17th save with a scoreless seventh inning.

NOTE: OF Andy Dirks, on a rehab assignment with Toledo, was a late scratch from Wednesday's first-game lineup. Detroit officials say Dirks experienced soreness after playing in three consecutive games, but is expected to play in today's 7 p.m. contest.